The expression “use the right tool for the right job in the right way” has traditionally been associated with building, electrical and other trades to make it easier to get a job done effectively and safely. Those questions apply to selecting and applying mathematical models for environmental forensics or forecasting. In some cases, regulatory agencies prescribe specific models and scenarios for environmental modeling, but those procedures may not adequately address unique situations or prove to be sufficient.

At Waterborne, selecting the “right tool” involves answering two questions: 1) “What are you trying to accomplish?” and 2) “What are the constraints that may necessitate specialized tools?” The answers to these questions begin with the development of a conceptual model to determine the most important processes that need to be represented in a model while considering constraints of accuracy and precision requirements, data availability, budget, and time.

Many environmental models operate under a steady state and under assumptions of conservation of mass. Truly dynamic models include the simultaneous solution of conservation of mass and momentum, thus allowing non-steady state conditions to be modeled, such as pulse doses, tidal exchanges, and backwater conditions. Multi-dimensional models can address processes such as:

• How does chemical exposure vary over time and by distance?
• Where are constituents likely to deposit into sediment and how often will they flush out by sediment scour?

Below we illustrate four examples of multi-dimensional modeling...

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The world is abuzz with the upcoming Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, set to begin in Paris, France, on July 26th with a spectacular Seine River-based opening ceremony. The Seine is expected to be a major player in this year’s Olympics as it will also host three swimming events such as the swimming portion of the triathlon. In fact, the sustainable aspect of using the Seine for events was a key component of Paris’s Olympic bid. Yet despite spending $1.5 billion on cleaning up the river just to make it swimmable after more than a century’s ban, tests in the last week have shown unsafe levels of E. coli and enterococci bacteria still in the water.  

E. Coli and other bacterial organisms exist in naturally occurring bodies of water, known as nature water, to one degree or another, and it is inevitable that a person will encounter some. The goal from a water quality management perspective is to keep those risk factors under control and the water safe. Paris went to great lengths to mitigate the risks and provide athletes with a healthy competitive environment; however, heavy rains and their related runoff have washed bacteria from the city’s industrial and residential activities into the Seine, causing today’s Olympic challenge.

The 2024 Paris Olympic Games are set to be the first competition since 1923 that will allow swimming in the Seine River. Before the introduction of pools to the games early last century, all swimming events occurred in rivers and natural sources. While modern swimming pools utilize chemicals and technology to prevent bacterial populations from rapidly multiplying, natural water typically houses a few hundred colony-forming units of E. Coli, which are a naturally occurring part of that ecosystem with or without human impact. Paris compounded these naturally occurring organisms with its 19th-century activity of directly discharging factory and human waste into the Seine through its revolutionary sewer system. 

Last week there was cause for alarm in Paris as the most recent wave of E. Coli screenings, attributed to high rainfall within the city, came back positive and above the 900 CFU threshold set forth by the Olympic Committee. As of writing, there is no known backup plan to host the three swimming events this August. Paris, a truly ancient city, has always bordered the Seine; therefore, the river has been impacted by heavy pollution for centuries that has contributed to the destruction of the habitat for much of the local wildlife. After the European Union passed legislation to address urban wastewater, The Greater Paris Sanitation Authority put forth a massive effort to improve the treatment infrastructure and, thereby, the overall health of the river. In 2015, the City launched its plan baignade, or swimming plan, to clean up the Seine ahead of this year’s Olympics. In addition to other measures, the plan connected 23,000 residences...

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Staying abreast of industry updates is of paramount importance to Waterborne's team. When Shawn Meyer, a Senior Scientist within our Field Studies team learned about the Illinois Soybean Association's Field Day on June 20th, he jumped at the chance to attend. Held at Rend Lake College in Ina, Illinois, the event, titled “Fungicides: To Spray or Not To Spray” contained several informative talks which were well attended by local producers.

Abigail Peterson, Illinois Soybean Association’s Director of Agronomy started the event on the right note and was followed by John Pike, a research agronomist/consultant/producer, who provided a discussion on cover crop impacts on soil and water management. Researchers from the Universities of Illinois and Kentucky discussed aspects of fungicide treatment. Rend Lake College’s Director of Agronomy provided an overview of their drone program and the value of using that data to make on-farm decisions. Stephanie Porter, Illinois Soybean Association’s Outreach Agronomist, concluded the day by giving a 2024 growing season update. All in all, it was a day well spent!